Pumping Out Hope: Stem cells secrete brain-preserving protein
Because stem cells can grow into many different cell types, researchers have touted them for replacing cells damaged by injury or disease (SN: 4/2/05, p. 218: Full Stem Ahead). However, some scientists also envision the cells as pumps for delivering drugs. New research suggests that such living drug pumps could eventually treat Parkinson’s disease, a progressive neurological disorder with no known cure.
Parkinson’s disease occurs when brain cells that produce dopamine malfunction and die. Studies have shown that repeated doses of a protein called glial-cell line–derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) can protect dopamine-producing cells in lab cultures.